The Start
by setterslsett
Summary: It's exciting to sneak out of the house. Especially if you have someone special to meet. But getting caught? That's not so fun.


Written for The Hunger Games: Fanfic Style III round 3 - prompts: ruin, Excitement, "Please don't.", A park, Rope

A wide grin threatened to pull Barty's mouth apart as he bound the rope to his bed and threw the other end out of the window. Every time he did this butterflies roared in his stomach exactly like the first time he climbed out of his window and that cold winter wind hit him and he finally felt free.

The night had fallen but the stars lighted the little town Barty called home. His feet hit the ground with a hopeful thumph. Kicking in motion as they felt the ground under them and speeding up to the rhythm of his heart. Stone paths quickly turned into asphalt until finally, Barty reached the edge of a grassy plain: the park.

Until the last holidays, Barty would have had to walk around the edge for 15 minutes to reach the gate or climb over the fence at this spot. But now, now he just closed his eyes and focused on the other side of the bars. As the picture became clear in his mind, his stomach turned and magic forced his body into a space so tight he thought he couldn't breath.

When the feeling was over and Barty opened his eyes he was in the park. A triumphant grin broke his face open, his eyes glittering as he made a tiny jump in accomplishment. It was so amazing to finally be off age.

"Barty?"

The blond turned around as he heard his name. "Regulus!" Realising he spoke to loud he looked around before whispering: "You're here."

"Of course I am," Regulud said keeping his face neutral; like always.

"You can smile here, Reg. No one here but me."

And there it was, that face behind the neutral mask that only broke through when it was just them.

Regulus placed his hand on Barty's arm. "I was excited to see you." He moved his hand to silence the butterflies in his stomach. "I still am."

"So am I."

Slowly they moved closer together, drowning in each other's eyes, lips almost touching…

"BARTY!"

They jumped apart, tension breaking the tender moment. Their eyes flew over the park, trying to locate the source of the shout.

"BARTY!" Closer this time. "I know you're here! Thought you could sneak out without me knowing..."

Even through the panic, Barty couldn't help but snort at that last part. He'd been sneaking out of the house for years. Even though his dad thought he knew everything, he really didn't.

"We need to get out," brought Regulus Barty back to reality.

A quick glance from where a light shone through the trees, back to Regulus and Barty had made his decision. "You go."

"What?" the sharp whisper left Regulus as a breath.

"Go." With Regulus still not moving Barty's look turned softer, as did his voice. "He's my dad. He'll find me anyway. You, you I don't want him to hurt."

With a desperate movement Regulus clung to the other. "I can't."

Barty pushed him off. "Go." He pushed Regulus away.

"Too late." Barty Senior came from behind a tree, into the light. His small, condemning eyes settled on his son. "This boy." How could he make that word sound so vile, so sick. "You're ruin your life because of him?"

Regulus just stood by the side, watching how Barty's whole face changed in a split second. The loving, tender expression turned in a fury barely contained. Eyes on fire and teeth bared; hands clenched into fists as nails almost drew blood from their skin.

"He doesn't ruin me life! You do!"

Barty's father matched his son's expression. "Your vision is blinded."

"No. Oh no." A tremor slipped into his words. "Your-" An accusatory finger was pointed in his direction. "You are blinded! And you don't even know it! You are nothing, you are pathetic, you-"

"QUIET!"

A single word. A single word that carried so much authority everything, even the wind, stopped.

"You think you can-" The rest of his sentence was lost in grumbling as he pulled his wand out.

He pointed it at Regulus. "Get out."

Unsure and scared Regulus turned his gaze on Barty who scooted closer to him, shaking no and Regulus knew he couldn't let Barty face his father alone.

"GET OUT!"

"I- I won't. You don't get to ruin his life!"

"You little-" And before he even realised himself he flicked his wand and shouted: "Crucio!"

When it hit Regulus, he didn't feel anything at first, then a slight tingle went through his bones, turning into a burning, into an agonising pain until he was screaming his lungs out.

"You monster, stop!"

But Barty Senior didn't stop. He kept his wand pointed even when Regulus curled up in a crying ball and Barty felt on the ground, sobbing next to him. "Please don't- Just stop this. Please."

The soft crying of his son seemed to change something in Barty. Slowly, he blinked his eyes, only now focusing on the scene before him. With a flick of his wand the spell was broken.

"Come with me Barty." His son did nothing. "I said: come with me!"

The booming voice made Barty look up, his eyes going from Regulus, to his father to the wand pointed at his friend. He stood up, hate glaring at his father, and moved beside him.

"Good boy."

But what his father didn't know was that, with his mind's eye on Regulus, Barty started planning his father's downfall.

He would pay for this.


End file.
